1

Brooke Warren
Nutr750
Writing Assignment #1: Final Draft

The effect of conjugated linoleic acids on body composition in humans

The interest in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as a supplement that both increases lean
body mass and decreases body fat has been steadily increasing along with our countrys obesity
epidemic. CLA supplements are found on the shelves of most drug stores and on countless
internet sites. Most of the research to date has been conducted on animal models and seems to
indicate that CLA does have a positive effect on reducing body fat mass in some types of
animals
1
. The research done on humans, however, has produced many contradictory results. The
human studies all consist of different set-ups and methods
2
, making it difficult to compare the
results of one study to another. CLA supplementation has an inconclusive effect on the body
composition of humans and may adversely affect some biochemical markers of the participants.
CLA is a group of isomers of linoleic acid
3
. Linoleic acid is an 18-carbon fatty acid,
which contains two double bonds in positions 9 and 12
2
. The chief isomer found naturally is cis-
9, trans-11
4
. This isomer is formed in the digestive tracts of ruminant animals; therefore the
highest quantities are found in dairy products and meats such as beef, veal, and lamb. Smaller
amounts can also be found in safflower and sunflower oils
2
. The other isomer known to have
biological activity is trans-10, cis-12. This isomer has been shown to increase insulin resistance
and is therefore generally mixed 50:50 with the cis-9, trans-11 isomer when administered in
clinical trials
4,5
.
Obesity rates in the United States have been steadily increasing over the past thirty
years
6
. The prevalence of comorbidities such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
hypertension has also increased with the rise in obesity rates. Research done by the George
2
Institute for International Health indicated that people with a larger waist circumference were at
a higher risk of developing type II diabetes
7
. Several studies have identified obesity as an
independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease
8
and obesity is at least partially related to
approximately 70% of all cases of hypertension
9
. A moderate decrease in body fat has been
shown to decrease a persons risk of developing many of these comorbidities and in some cases
may even reverse the disease
10
.
Several animal studies have shown a positive correlation between CLA and body
composition. The mechanism of action appears to involve increased energy expenditure,
enhancement of fatty acid oxidation, and increased lipolysis in adipocytes
11
. Mice seem to be the
most respondent, however, the affect is dose dependent
5
. A study conducted by James Delany
and colleagues at Louisiana State University administered varying amounts of CLA (0.25%-
1.0%) to mice
2
. Results showed decreased fat accumulation and increased lean body mass
parallel to the dose of CLA
2
. The affect of CLA on body composition varies between species.
Whereas mice seem to be very responsive to CLA supplementation, pigs have shown mixed
results. A pattern of fat deposition reduction was seen in finishing pigs when given a supplement
of 0.55% CLA
12
. In contrast, another study did not show any change to the fat deposition of
finishing pigs when supplemented with 0.5% CLA
4
. The affect of CLA can also vary within a
species. A study showed that supplementation of 0.5% CLA for five weeks caused a reduction in
body fat in lean rats and an increase in body fat in obese rats
4
.
The positive correlations in animal studies have lead to hypotheses that the same effects
may be seen in humans. Studies analyzing the impact of CLA supplementation on the body
composition of humans are fairly limited and very contradictory. In 2007, researchers at the
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill performed a randomized, double blind, placebo
S
controlled clinical trial to analyze the effects of CLA on human body composition over a twelve-
week period
11
. Participants were split into three groups: a placebo, a 3.4g/d CLA group and a
6.4g/day CLA group. The CLA was a 50:50 mixture of trans-10,cis-12 and cis-9,trans-11. The
results indicated a significant increase (0.64kg) in lean body mass for the group receiving 6.4g/d.
This same group also showed significant increases in C-reactive protein and IL-6 and significant
decreases in serum HDL-cholesterol. There were no significant changes for the placebo group or
the 3.2g/d group
11
. A study conducted at Laval University in 2011 concluded that eight weeks of
CLA supplementation did not affect the lean body mass of participants
1
. The methods of the
2011 study were slightly different from the 2007 study, which could explain the difference in
outcomes. The participants in the 2011 study were split into three groups: a placebo, 2.8g/d CLA
(50:50 mixture of trans-10,cis-12 and cis-9,trans-11), and 2.8g/d CLA (cis-9,trans-11 only).
None of the participants in the 2011 study showed any changes to their C-reactive protein or IL-6
levels
1
.
Several long-term (>6 months) studies on the correlation of CLA supplementation and
body composition have been conducted. Seven of these studies were included in a 2011 review
and meta-analysis compiled by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Of the
seven studies, three reported weight loss, three reported weight gain and one reported no
significant difference in body composition
13
. Of the three that reported weight loss, two lasted
six months and one lasted twelve months. The first of the six-month trials reported a mean
weight loss of 0.9 3.9kg for the CLA group and 0.0 3.3kg for the placebo group
14
. The second
six-month trial reported a weight loss of 0.6 2.5kg in the CLA group and a weight gain of 1.1
3.2kg in the control group
15
. The twelve-month trial reported a mean weight loss of 1.1 3.7kg
for the CLA group and 0.2 2.9kg for the placebo
16
. The three trials that resulted in weight gain
4
also consisted of two six-month trials and one twelve-month trial. The two six-month trials that
reported gains showed an increase of 3.2 1.9kg
17
and 0.21 2.9kg
18
for the CLA groups and
3.7 2.3kg
17
and 0.65-2.1 kg
18
respectively for the placebo group. The twelve-month study that
resulted in an increase is weight reported a weight gain of 4.0 5.6kg for the CLA group and a
gain of 4.0 5.0kg for the placebo group
19
. Although many of these studies did show a mean
weight loss (decrease in body fat) or weight gain (increased lean body mass), the standard
deviations are all relatively large, indicating a large dispersion among the results.
Most studies to date have used CLA in the form of commercially formulated pills to
supplement their participants. Very few studies, however, have looked at the effect of naturally
occurring CLA in the form of dairy products or meat from rumenic animals. Researchers at Iowa
State University set up an experiment that compared the insulin sensitivity, body composition,
circulating lipids, and other risk factors of two groups of participants
20
. The participants
consisted of eighteen healthy women between the ages of 20-39. The control group ate a diet
naturally low in CLA from grain-fed cattle. The experimental group ate a CLA enriched diet
from pasture-fed cattle
20
. There was approximately three times the amount of CLA in the
experimental group than there was in the control group. The study found no significant
difference in any of the measurements. Another study looked at the effect on plasma lipoproteins
and body composition of overweight and obese men who consumed butter that was naturally
enriched with CLA by adding sunflower oil to the diet of dairy cows
21
. The results showed no
significant difference in body composition between the control and the experimental group.
Several adverse affects have been correlated with CLA supplementation. The majority of
complaints from participants were regarding gastrointestinal discomfort. These included stomach
pain, constipation, diarrhea, and soft stool
13,22
. CLA has also been shown to increase insulin
S
resistance in obese men with metabolic syndrome
2
. Long-term and short-term studies have
indicated that CLA may cause an increase in LDL cholesterol
22
and a decrease in HDL
cholesterol
11,22
. Short-term studies have also shown an increase in C-reactive protein and IL-6
6
,
both markers of inflammation.
The supplementation of CLA in humans to effect body composition is a very
controversial subject. Studies on humans are fairly limited and all use different methods in their
trials. This makes comparing the findings very difficult and may be part of the reason why there
are many contradicting results. Although some trials have indicated that CLA supplementation
can increase a humans lean body mass, the results are minor. Some of the adverse affects, such
as the decrease in HDL cholesterol and increase in LDL cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and IL-
6, are worrisome enough that they negate the minor beneficial results. More research needs to be
done on the safety and efficacy of specific dosages of CLA before human supplementation is
recommended as a means of increasing lean body mass or decreasing body fat.


1
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